Bangladeshi Cuisine

Payesh

Payesh is a sweet traditional dish found in many South Asian nations. It can be made using a base of broken wheat or boiled rice. The base is mixed with other ingredients, such as sugar, milk, and flavorings – raisins, cardamom, saffron, and pistachios. Payesh can be served alone, but it can also be served during a meal.

Pakora

Pakora is a fried snack that can be made using one or two of the following ingredients: potato, onion, tomato, cauliflower, chicken, spinach, and chili. The chosen ingredient (or ingredients) is dipped in a batter made of flour before it is deep fried. Pakora can be eaten as an appetizer or snack. Most restaurants offer such treats as alternatives to kebabs or French fries.

Gulab jamun

Gulab jamun is a popular Asian dessert made from flour and milk solids rolled into a ball, deep fried, and then put into a sweet sugary syrup with flavorings such as rosewater, cardamom seeds, or saffron. The brownish-red color of the dessert comes from the caramelized sugar content of the milk powder. There are some variations wherein refined sugar is also added to the dough.

Gulab jamun is commonly served at special occasions such as weddings and Muslim celebrations.

Jilipi

Jilipi – or jalebi, in other places – is basically a deep fried pretzel soaked in sugary syrup.

This mouthwatering sweet snack is made by first dissolving sugar in water and boiling the mixture until it becomes a thin syrup. The dough is prepared by kneading suji, a kind of wheat that is granulated but not pulverized; ghee, a clarified butter that is used in many parts of Asia; and chenna, which is a variety of Indian cottage cheese.

Afterward, more ghee is melted in a pan and the Chenna mixture is squeezed or poured into a whirly shape onto the hot ghee, to fry until it is golden brown. After the pieces of cooked dough are removed from the oil, they are immersed in the syrup.

Jilipi is best served while still a little hot.

Lassi

Lassi is a yogurt-based drink that is quite popular in Bangladesh. It is prepared by blending yogurt with water and spices.

Lassi is traditionally served salted, but it can also be served sweet by adding sugar or fruits instead of spices for flavoring. The drink can also be mixed with turmeric powder to be used as remedy for gastroenteritis.

Lassi is also commonly used in the performance of rituals in Dharmic religions. During these rituals, honey is used to sweeten the yogurt.